What is Foreign Exchange to Me?

"A year of of my life. My life in a year."

Google Translate (Google Übersetzer)

Friday, March 30, 2012

Ferien Goes By Too Quickly

imageCurrently, the picture set as the background of my iPod right now is of a good friend of mine and me because her 18th birthday was this week. In the picture we’re in San Francisco, in thick jackets laughing about… something, and it is ridiculous to think that when the picture was taken it was about 55 degrees (Fahrenheit) and I’m wearing a jacket and turtleneck, yet two days ago it was colder than that and I was wearing shorts and tanning. My P3281497friends and I even went swimming because it was “so warm.” I feel like something is wrong with me, I’m going to burn to a crisp when I fly back to California this summer.

Last Sunday I had an hour long live radio interview with my counselor from Rotary. This is one of the moments where words cannot P3250025describe how glad I am to speak/understand fluent German, and aside from talking about the agriculture when I meant to talk about the landscape, I’d say it definitely could have gone a lot worse. Smile

*After waking up from a nap*

Me: *sarcastically* Wow. I look beautiful.

Friend: You always look beautiful.

Me: You’re my friend. You have to say that.

Friend: No, I only HAVE to say that if I’m trying to sleep with you.

If nothing else in Germany, I have some oP3281492f the best German friends anyone could ask for. They always take care of me and make sure I’m doing okay. I don’t know what I did to deserve them, but I’m definitely not complaining. Due to the fact that it’s Ferien, we have no school and have been getting together every day to go swimming, climbing, or simply to sit around watching movies.

P3271489Tuesday I went climbing with my Rotary Counselor and a couple of his friends (including a math and physics teacher from my school). I like how I can say I’ve been climbing outdoors in Germany, but not in California.

There’s a German kid song that sings “Theo macht mir ein bananenbrot” (or Theo, make me banana bread” ) but because one of my friends is named Leo, we sing “Leo macht mir ein P3251481bananenbrot” and because banana bread doesn’t actually exist in Germany, (and Germans tend to look at me like I’m crazy when I start talking about bread with bananas in it) we made (DELICIOUS) banana bread this past week.

My time in Germany gets short and shorter and, and the days past faster and faster. Why can’t I just stay ‘the exchange student’ forever? 

P3251477

Friday, March 23, 2012

Ferien, HERE WE COME!

P3221470THERE HAS BEEN SUN THIS WEEK! Sun I want my blonde hair and my tan back! My German friends look through my old pictures and tell me I look funny because I was tan and blonde, and my California friends look through my new pictures and tell me I look funny because I’m white as a ghost and have brown hair. Yesterday it was so nice that after school my friends P3221471and I went and sat on the river bank and listened to random people playing music. It’s rather sad though, just one day of 56° weather and I’m already sunburnt. And to think 56° used to sound cold.

I used to think Germans drove fast… that P3161421was before I was in a police car. Now I think they drive at the speed of lightening. Last Friday and Wednesday I did (something like) a mini-internship with the Hameln Police. Originally it was only for Friday, but I had such a good time that they invited me back. To be fair, I have never been a ‘tag-along’ (so to speak) with the P3161424Santa Rosa Police Department, but the Police in Germany are incredibly different. One major difference is in Germany, when the police are around it generally means that something bad is happening, so when they are around people actuallyP3161447 tend to feel less safe, whereas in California, the police casually stroll around and are much more approachable. Also in Germany there are seemingly endless things someone can get a ticket for, (such as parking within 5 meters -about 16 feet- of a “Pedestrian Zone” or not having their P3161450personal I.D. on them at all times) but the tickets are basically pocket money, only 10-30 euros while in California people don’t get tickets as often, but when they do they are very expense. For example, in Germany, parking in a Handicapped parking place without a placard is only 35 Euros, while in California it’s a MINIMUM fine of 250 dollars.

Sunday was my host-mom’s birthday so we had (almost) all my siblings over (the one on exchange in Mexico wasn’t here) as well as a lot of our extendP3181454ed family and the neighbors and my host-mom’s friends… and pretty much anyone else imaginable. The term “full house” is a little bit of an understatement, but if nothing else we all had a great time!

It’s the week before Ferien (which means starting today I have 2 weeks off from sAussiechool!) and it’s also the last week that the students in the 12th grade will be at school. Starting in two weeks, they all have to do their “Abitur” which is basically a series of oral and written exams in certain core subjects. The “Abitur” i295232_3572407833499_1714677890_ns an entrance requirement to universities and can only be achieved from a Gymnasium (in Germany, there are three types of schooling, Hauptschule, Realschule, and Gymnasium) and if the student fails they do not get their “Abitur” and cannot go on to university. For American high school 374094_286290661440319_100001781615240_649872_1618911368_nstudents, the “Abitur” difficulty is often compared to Advanced Placement (AP) exams, or the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. It’s almost embarrassing to think that this is ‘the norm’ in Germany, yet parents in California complain about the “California High School Exit Exam” being too difficult.image Because this is the last week, it’s also “Spirit Week” but only for the “Abi klasse” (or the graduating class) and because this is the only week the German students have to dress up, the entire graduating class goes ALL out. Yesterday was my favorite (and also the most imagepolitically incorrect) theme. It was “Ausstoß Tag,” or the day where everyone dresses up like homeless people/social outcasts. I can’t help but think how my school in California would react to this, last year there was a petition to stop the spirit day called “Nerd Day” because it was offensive, let alone having a day to essentially make fun of all the homeless people.

Just goes to show you how the culture is different. 

Saturday, March 17, 2012

You Know You’re From Germany When…

The other day while stumbling around the internet, I found a lovely site with several “You Know You’re From Germany When…s”. Trust me when I say anyone who has ever lived in/been to Germany will get it. Winking smile

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Mmmmmm. The Bratwurst Burger!

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Everyone watches “Dinner for One” on New Year’s Eve… which is strange because it’s a short film in English.

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Though Santa (or rather Saint Nicholas) fills your shoes with sweets on December 6th!

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Ever since Christmas, “In der Weihnachtsbäckerei” gets stuck in my head daily.

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“Where were you!??! I’ve been waiting for 16 minutes! You said you’d be here at 3:15! It’s 3:15!!!”

See previous commentary.

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Self-explanatory.

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I’m glad I finally have a bike.

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And at the movie theater. And in the train station. And in vending machines. And any other imaginable place.

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No. It’s not a sports school.

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Otherwise the “Trash Police” will fine you.

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When? = Wann? If = Wenn. When(past tense)= Als. When/If(future tense) = Falls.

Oh German. Red heart

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A.K.A. The most commonly used slang word for all genders/age groups.

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Sadly, even I do this now.

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German wordplay to remember English Grammar.

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And to think, this used to be shocking.

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When you buy your movie ticket, you are assigned a seat and whether or not the theater is empty, everyone always sits in their assigned seat.

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Typical German fast food. Thumbs up

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And cheaper than water.

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Yup. Mobile phone

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Ever need a tissue? Find someone German.

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School bus

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Not clap. Knock.

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And it feels like your preparing for a Zombie Apocalypse.

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GEMA. Eye rolling smile

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Yup. Totally normal. Smile

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Generally speaking, the Germans think it’s crazy that the Americans can drive before they can drink. Smile with tongue out

For more “You know you’re German when…” check out the source: http://youknowyouregerman.tumblr.com/

Oh Germany, I love you. Red heart

Days in Germany